| Honeymoon Trousseau, Clothes For Your Honeymoon |
| What is a honeymoon trousseau? Every bride needs one! Trousseau (tr'oo so or troo so') is her clothing after the wedding, in Victorian times it was her dowry. She would arrange clothing for the marriage...today we just call it honeymoon clothes! Every bride shops for her honeymoon based on her destination. Think attractive sexy clothes as well as practical clothing. Who needs an excuse to buy new things? The perfect time to shop and assemble your wardrobe is before the wedding planning gets too hectic. Make a checklist of what you'll need to buy, tuck your purchases away and check them off the list. Your packing will be a breeze, you'll be stress free and you'll have staggered the purchases over time so you don't burst your budget. I shopped for my own honeymoon trousseau with the same zeal that I shopped for my wedding dress. I wanted new clothes and hot lingerie. I wanted to look spectacular for my new husband. And I shopped.....and he loved it! Its a time to be a bit daring, to put on those oh-so sexy heels and the low cut top.....so have fun and start assembling your trousseau! Some items are standard regardless of where you're getting married and honeymooning: Sexy honeymoon lingerie, one different outfit for each night. The wedding night is usually extra special, the other days can be cute teddies and silk chemises. Bras and panties, some even say bride or just married on them...for his eyes only! A cover up robe for romantic breakfasts, think silk, charmeuse or baby doll length. Sandals, flip flops, sexy heels for dress up and a comfortable pair of walking or athletic shoes. Tee shirts, blouses or tank tops. Cami tops with built in bras are perfect for sightseeing or just hanging out. You can always add a cute shrug or bolero jacket to turn it into the perfect dinner outfit. Cami tops are one of the most versatile items in your wardrobe. Flirty sexy skirts, shorts, cropped pants and pants or jeans. A dressy or formal dress for a romantic dinner out. Rampage has some adorable day and evening dresses at affordable prices. A great handbag! Accessories for each outfit! Body lotions with a hint of shimmer. SUNSCREEN!! At the Beach: You will need to pack: Several swimsuits. One to wear, one to wash and one waiting for you to wear is the rule. Suits don't dry instantly, and you'll need to rinse them out after every wearing to get the sand or chlorine out of the suit. A wardrobe of swimsuits is your best bet! Regardless of your size, you can find some amazing swimsuits. And lets not forget our plus size gals, there are great suits out there. A great bathing suit or swimsuit cover up. Don't forget a sexy hip slung pareo! Sunglasses. Beach shoes or flip flops AND a great beach tote to take your lotions, books, MP3 player and a cold bottle of water to the sand. Tank tops, shorts, cropped pants, lightweight skirts and light weight sexy tops for evenings out. Don't forget a great sun dress with cute matching sandals or sexy heels. Resort wear is always great for the beach. After sun body lotions and aloe vera gel in case of sunburn. Check with your resort before you pack bulky beach towels. They may have them for your use. At a Caribbean Resort: Basically you need the same items as the beach with some additions. Many of the resorts, especially the all inclusive resorts have dress nights for dinner. You'll need to include some resort wear for both of you and some dressy cocktail style dresses for dinner. Check it out with your resort and they'll let you know whether you can wear sun dresses in the evening or if they require you to wear a more after five cocktail dress. You'll need to pack: A dressy dress with shoes and accessories. We love the little black dress, change your accessories and you change your entire look. Resort wear clothing & accessories. Think tropical dressing and you'll fit in! On a Cruise Ship: Cruise ship attire is more casual than most people think. During the day the attire is casual, shorts, tee shirts and bathing suits. If you are a sun worshiper, remember the 3 rule...one to wear, one to wash and one waiting to be worn. Bathing suits are never allowed in the dining room, but you can get breakfast and lunch on the Lido deck of every ship with a cover up over your suit. Evenings are different on a cruise ship. You can't wear shorts in the dining room for dinner. Most nights have a theme and you dress accordingly. Most nights resort wear will be fine. That means dresses and sun dresses for the women, including pants and tops, but NEVER jeans. Men can get by with casual or dressier pants and a casual shirt. Dress nights are formal. When the Captain's dinner and ball are held you have to dress in formal attire. For the woman it means a formal long or tea length dress or dressy pant suit or cocktail dress. One really great little black dress with unique accessories will work. Silver shoes and accessories one night, black or red shoes the next dressy night. One dress, double duty! For the men it means a tuxedo or suit. You can rent tuxedo's on the ship if your man wants to wear a tux, otherwise, a nice suit and tie are fine. For going ashore, remember to be respectful of the countries you are visiting. Shorts and tees are fine, as are bathing suits with a cover up. Its very hot in the tropical islands, wear cool cottons ashore because you won't get the breeze you get on deck of the ship when its sailing. You'll need to pack: Swimsuits & cover up & a big tote bag. You can pick up a big sun hat or sun visor on the ship. Casual tees, tank tops, shorts, cropped pants for day. Sun dresses and resort wear apparel for dinner. Resort wear is nicer casual wear, flowered prints, linen pants, tropical looking dressing. One really formal dress. Check your ship's dress code suggestions, they sometimes have two dressy nights. Work out apparel if you are going to work out in the fitness center. Comfortable walking shoes or athletic shoes, sexy sandals, flip flops and a sexy dressy pair for your formal night. I like to bring along a small wallet on a string or organizer bag that you can sling across your body or wristlet so I can carry my room key, my sign and sail card and some cash if I stop in the casino. Packing tips: Don't over pack! Most hotels have in room irons and hair dryers. You are probably going to have to pack his gear, too, so make it easy on yourself. Make a list of what you both will need. Assemble the items into outfits. Pack your accessories for that outfit and put them together. Costume jewelry for each outfit can be packed in small baggies and put with the outfit. T-shirts and some shirts and blouses can be rolled to prevent wrinkling. Any thing that will wrinkle, pack it in a plastic dry cleaner bag. Take the bag and fold it and place it in the suitcase. The plastic bag does a remarkable job of preventing wrinkles. You can use empty bags in between layers of clothes to keep them from wrinkling. Use the space inside the shoes for rolled up socks or underwear. Pack your shoes in shoe bags or plastic bags so that they don't get your clothes dirty. Pack shoes on the bottom of the suitcase and around the sides to fill up empty spaces. I always pack a small empty duffel bag in my luggage so I have a place to take home souvenirs and things I buy on my trips. Make sure you have a luggage tag on it to ID it. You can also use it to take home your dirty clothes. I also bring along a bag to put in dirty clothes, although most hotels have them in the room. If you are flying, make sure you are aware of any extra costs for checked baggage and weight limits on your suitcases. You don't want to pay extra costs at the airport for an overweight bag, so pack wisely and don't over pack. Bring clothes that will do double duty, like a little black dress and accessories to change the look for different evenings. For more packing tips, check out The Independent Traveler. |